Monthly Archives: August 2010

I bought some biking shoes this year with some black socks. The bike shop guy actually tried to talk me out of buying the socks, saying among other things that ‘you don’t need special socks’ and ‘there’s nothing special about these socks.’ But he was missing the most important thing about the socks … they looked cool with the shoes. Continue reading →

One night we went out several times and with each potty break I would put on fewer and fewer clothes. I was sleepy. So there we are at 3 a.m. I’m just wearing boxer briefs, Rose is illuminating the yard with a penlight and the dogs are prancing around, when the sprinklers pop up and blast me in the back with ice cold water. As I tried to escape the water works, I stepped smack dab in the middle of a fresh pile of puppy poop. It squished in between my toes.Continue reading →

“We have to stay ahead of the burros,” says Rose, “because when they pee, it covers the entire trail.” Rose knows things about burros and their bathroom habits because she grew up in Phoenix, where burros roam freely throughout the city. The folks ahead of us have moved to the side of the trail to let the burros pass. “Stay ahead of the burros!” Rose warns. The kids start running up the trail, laughing and screaming.Continue reading →

This year Sam played with his friends. A lot. Usually at our house or so it seems. First, across the street, was a four-year-old named Evan. He is a little cutie. Next door, we’ve got Eddie and Joey. Eddie is 9, Joey is 6. They all enjoy playing this game, that I can only guess is called, “Scream Like a Girl.” They play that game a lot. Continue reading →

By now, hail was pelting the park. With rain raining, wind hailing, I took over the kite line, vowing to bring her home safe and sound without crashing. I felt like I was standing on the deck of that fishing schooner in the movie, “The Perfect Storm.” Sam, ignoring the pleas of his mother, ran into the eye of the storm to stand by my side and together we pulled down the ailing flyer safely to the ground.Continue reading →

A few years ago my father had open-heart surgery. After the operation, he was a little out of it. In fact, one night he told the nurse that he thought he was in Ireland. Now you can think that’s sad or funny, but I just wonder what was going on in his mind to make him think he was in Ireland. Why Ireland of all places? What did that look like to him … a guy whose farthest adventure out of the U.S. was Kakabeca Falls in Ontario, which is, for all intent and purposes, Northern Minnesota. Either way I’m glad he got to go. Continue reading →

Sam turned three in August and is easily the best kid we’ve got. I realize you’re not supposed to have favorites, but really, it’s not even close. He’s funny, brave, handsome, athletic, creative, and thoughtful, but his breath smells really funky in the morning. I mean it smells pretty unusual. He loves Peter Pan, Star Wars; any movie involving swords or light sabers. Sam is equally comfortable playing either Obi-Wan Kenobi or Darth Vader. Continue reading →